Credit Transfer Agreements

Berklee College of Music has established agreements with a number of two- and three-year institutions with contemporary music programs whose course offerings are similar to those offered by Berklee. These agreements allow you to enroll in a prescribed program at any one of these institutions and, upon completion, receive direct credits for equivalent Berklee music courses. This may reduce your required credits for completion of a Berklee program to as few as 48 for the diploma program, or 60 for the degree program (normally four semesters of full-time attendance in either case). Students are encouraged to meeting with an academic advisor at one of our partner institutions to discuss the benefits of participating in their articulated programs.

How the Transfer Credit Agreement Works

1. You enroll at a Berklee partner school with a credit transfer agreement. Sometimes this will be called the "Berklee Track Program".
2. Berklee College of Music will supply you, upon request, with such study materials as are deemed appropriate, and will help monitor the progress of your studies at Berklee.
3. You must take a prescribed course of study at your school, completing all the required courses with a satisfactory grade point average specified in each agreement.
4. In order to graduate from Berklee, you must complete a minimum of four full-time semesters of study (60 credits for the degree, 48 credits for the diploma) at the college.
5. You may apply to Berklee College of Music at any time while you are enrolled in the program at your school or at any time
6. thereafter as specified by the partner institution's agreement. Upon completion of the specified program, and review by the appropriate Berklee offices, you will receive direct music transfer credit for Berklee courses as specified in each agreement.
7. With your application to Berklee you must also provide a letter of support from an administrator at your school. This administrator is specified in each agreement.
8. You should consult with the administrator specified in your school's agreement as soon as you decide to apply to Berklee as part of this program. Advisement and knowledge of your school's agreement with Berklee is very important for your successful transfer.

Completion of the Transfer Program/Acceptance to Berklee College of Music

Upon completion of the specific transfer program, and following acceptance of your application to Berklee by the Admissions Office, you will be considered a "continuing student" by the college. This status provides you certain benefits, specifically with regards to registering for your classes at Berklee.

We will offer you the opportunity to register in advance for classes for fall (September), spring (January), or summer (May) semesters. Continuing students are required to participate in the registration process. This will help make your transition to Berklee much smoother.

Registering for Classes at Berklee

To ensure that the registration process runs smoothly, please make sure that you have completed the following steps:

1. Acceptance to Berklee - Apply and get accepted to Berklee College of Music through the Admissions Office.
2. Tuition Deposit - Submit your tuition deposit. Your tuition deposit secures your place in the class at Berklee. We encourage you to review the policy regarding the tuition deposit in The Bulletin of Berklee College of Music".
   
   Once your tuition deposit has been received, you will be contacted by the college and given access to your online account. This online account gives you access to news at Berklee, information about your academic standing, details about your student account with the Office of the Bursar and allows you to register for classes.
3. Credits transferred - The number of credits you will be able to transfer will be based on the agreement between the partner institution and Berklee. The number of credits transferred will determine your semester level and standing.
   
   The Returning and Special Student Groups Coordinator in the Office of the Registrar will help you through the steps for registering for classes as an articulation student.
4. Selecting Courses - Using the Registration Manuel (provided to you by the Office of the Registrar through, Write out the course numbers and section numbers for each course you select. Clearly indicate the semester for which you are registering--fall (September), spring (January), or summer (May)--and if you are in the degree or diploma program.
   
   Select alternate courses or sections for each of your preferred courses. Having alternates helps ensure that you will receive as full a schedule as possible.
   
   Note: Check for prerequisites. You will not be able to sign up for a class that requires having taken certain previous classes (e.g., you must have successfully completed Harmony [HR] 1 before advancing to Harmony [HR] 2).
5. Private Instruction - Select your private instruction course number and private teacher. You will find these listed in the Registration Manual. Voice and Guitar principles should speak with the Returning and Special Student Groups Coordinator for specific details about selecting private instructors.
   
   Note: While your selection reflects your choice of teacher, it does not guarantee your choice. You will need to sign up officially for your private instruction time and teacher during check-in on campus.
6. Once you have completed the steps above, please fax, email, or mail the courses and sections you have chosen to Berklee's returning student and special groups coordinator in the Registrar's Office.
   
   Returning and Special Student Groups Coordinator
   Office of the Registrar
   Berklee College of Music
   1140 Boylston Street
   Boston, MA 02215-3693
   Fax number: 617 747-8520
   Email address: returningstudents@berklee.edu
7. Once you have registered, you will be sent your initial billing information.
8. In order to be enrolled in the courses you've selected, you must attend check-in for the semester with which you have chosen to start your program; September (for fall enrollment), January (for spring enrollment), or May (for summer enrollment).

If you have any questions regarding the policies and procedures described above, please contact the Admissions Office's assistant director for international students at admissions@berklee.edu or at 617 747-2222. You may also contact the returning student and special groups coordinator at returningstudents@berklee.edu or at 617 747-2242 or the assistant director for educational programming in the Office of International Programs at 617 747-2700.

Policy Regarding Selecting a Major and Private Lessons

Selecting a major and listing your courses

Your eligibility for a course will depend on whether you have completed the prerequisites (if any) for that course. The courses that Berklee recognizes your having completed are the courses that will be listed on the transfer credit evaluation sent to you. If you are interested in a class for which you do not have the prerequisites, you must contact the Returning and Special Student Groups Coordinator in the Office of the Registrar.

The Returning and Special Student Groups Coordinator will act as a liaison between you and the appropriate department chair so that you may request a prerequisite waiver. Without this special consideration, the course in question may not be available to you. The coordinator will guide you through your first registration process.

If you have not yet decided which major to pursue at Berklee, you can refer to The Bulletin of Berklee College of Music. Using this guide and the curriculum charts (i.e. grids) listed for each major, note which courses you will need to take and make your choices accordingly. Speak with the assistant director for international students in the Admission's Office to get guidance on selecting a major.

Private lessons as an articulated student

Students at Berklee College of Music must complete a minimum of four (4) semesters of private instruction on their principle instruments. This is regardless of the major course of study you seek to pursue. This is one of the academic requirements that makes Berklee student unique.

Students transferring from our partner institutions under a credit transfer agreement will take a instrumental audition with their instrumental department during the week preceding the start of classes for their first semester. This audition will allow the instrumental department to place you in the appropriate instrumental proficiency level. Also, it will help the department to identify the appropriate private instructor for you.